At contracted hotels for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, college student volunteers provided language services in the Yanqing competition zone inside the closed loop. One of them can speak five foreign languages, one gave a French coach her favorite "Bing Dwen Dwen" stickers, one is from a family whose four members all served the ice and snow events, to mention but a few. These youngster volunteers not only offered translation service, but also assisted support staff in daily routine tasks.

"These volunteers play a critical role," said Jia Shiquan, deputy commander of the Beijing Winter Olympics Yanqing Competition Zone Urban Volunteer Headquarters and secretary of the Yanqing District Committee of the Communist Youth League of China.

Their tasks included translating foreign guests' certificates of nucleic acid test for medical workers, providing guidance for foreigners on food and traffic, among others. These college student volunteers served as a bridge across cultures by communicating with foreign athletes and guests in their own languages.

A unique holiday

In early January, shortly after finishing her final exams, Wang Jiaxue, a 19-year-old first-year English major student at Beijing International Studies University (BISU), received a call from the Yanqing District Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and was told she had been selected as a volunteer inside the closed loop. Within only two days after receiving the notice, she got everything ready and arrived at the closed-loop hotel to join the support team.

Shi Yulin is also a college student at BISU. She has studied for one and half year in the Seven-year Comprehensive Training Program of the university. After receiving the notice, she took two negative certificates of nucleic acid test within 96 hours and carried a big heavy suitcase onto the 919 bus. On her bus trip to the hotel, viewing the Great Wall beautifully covered in ice and snow through the foggy window, the 20-year-old girl found herself in great excitement and anticipation of the following one month.

Another BISUer, Wang Sixian, aged 21, is a third-year student majoring in business English. Faced with a higher risk of infection at work, Wang said, "I was kind of scared at first. Before I came here, I consulted the team leader and learned that we got plenty of epidemic prevention supplies. So, I was reassured. Indeed, there is nothing to be afraid of as long as we take good precautions and take good care of ourselves."

Jia Shiquan said that before working inside the closed-loop, all volunteers had received training on epidemic prevention and knowledge about the Winter Olympics.

Wang Keying, aged 20, is a third-year student majoring in English education at Beijing City University. Just after she checked into the designated hotel, she received a lot of epidemic prevention supplies, including N95 masks, face shields, hand sanitizers, gloves and shoe covers. "Once I got the stuff, I felt relieved."

"The medical team gave us detailed training on epidemic prevention, including how often we need to replace the masks and face shields, how to put on and take off protective clothing, what is a safe distance. We must put on all protective stuff before we go to work," said Wang. 

Cultural exchange messengers at closed-loop hotel

When interpreting for international guests at the hotel, Wang Jiaxue could speak five languages, namely English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Italian, and was thereby dubbed a "multilingual expert" by the support team.

Wang said that she likes watching Japanese comics and Korean TV series since her childhood, and sticks to expanding Japanese and Korean vocabulary for basic communication on a regular basis. She also took Spanish as a second foreign language to study in college. At work, she found that the hotel that she was assigned to has many Italian guests, so she tried to learn some Italian greetings in her spare time.

"When I talk to them in their mother tongue, guests would be very surprised and of course very happy. Besides, it does facilitate understanding and boost communication. At first, I stammered a lot, and friendly Italian guests would even help me correct my pronunciation, " she said. According to Wang, through volunteering, she began to see more charm in language, and that it was such cross-cultural bridge that enabled her to communicate with foreign guests and learn a lot.

Xiao Hanti is a sophomore majoring in business English at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. Working as a volunteer interpreter at the hotel merchandise department, she met a French coach who was about to leave China. He hoped to buy the mascot "Bing Dwen Dwen" before departure, but even in a closed-loop hotel, "Bing Dwen Dwen" was still too popular to get one.

After she learned about that, Xiao decided to give her own collection of "Bing Dwen Dwen" stickers to the guest, who would otherwise leave disappointedly. The guest was gratefully surprised and gave her the badge of the French team in return.

"There are many stories of gift-giving and -receiving, and this is just one of them", said Xiao. She had received badges from more than a dozen different national teams since she started the volunteer service. She said that thanks to the volunteer service, she could have a chance to "witness the friendship between China and other countries, improve her communication skills, and experience the charm of the Winter Olympics in promoting friendly exchanges and mutual learning."

A youth rendezvous with ice and snow 

During this Winter Olympics, many families in Yanqing went all out to participate in the volunteer service. In Wang Keying's family, four members joined Yanqing's volunteer teams.

Wang Keying said that her mom has a big influence on her decision to sign up for the volunteer service. Knowing that the volunteers of the Winter Olympics can't go home for the Spring Festival celebration, her mother told her, "Missing family reunion for the Winter Olympics is not a regret. You can provide quality service and help others with your own strength."

On the Chinese New Year's Eve, more than 20 volunteers from the support team serving at the hotel celebrated with a countdown and ate Chinese dumplings together. "This Spring Festival is the happiest one I have ever had, and I have made many friends," Wang said. At the Lantern Festival, her family also received letters of greetings and glutinous rice balls, which deeply moved her.

Jia Shiquan said that during the Winter Olympics, the Yanqing District Committee of the Communist Youth League of China sent greetings to the families of volunteers through the "Yanqing Folks" Volunteer Service and the "Youth Community".

These post-2000s college students volunteered with passion and dedication, reflecting the spirit of persistence, endeavor, diligence, and responsibility.

Shi Yulin said, "As a volunteer, I honor this precious opportunity. I hope that I can be of some help to the Winter Olympics with my own strength and passion, be a promoter of the Olympic spirit, a volunteer service practitioner, and a narrator of Chinese stories. I did my best to be a witness, participant, and contributor to history, and enjoy a youth rendezvous with ice and snow. "